Peggy Mitchell's Emotional Eastenders Farewell

Walford's most formidable resident exited the show last night in an emotional farewell, but will leave a trail of cherished memories in her wake...

Formidable pub landlady Peggy Mitchell took her final bow in Eastenders last night in an emotional scene that also saw the ghostly return of ex-Albert Square inhabitant and on/off love rival of Peggy, Pat Butcher. Everyone’s favourite miniature matriarch had appeared in the soap from 1994, winning the hearts of the nation as she slapped, smacked and shouted her way through most of the Square’s residents.

Though Peggy will be best remembered for shrilly ordering anyone who crossed the line out of her pub, Walford’s mightiest Mitchell had the pleasure of taking on some of the best scenes ever put together in the timeless soap.

PUB OWNERS PAST AND PRESENT

When Peggy returned to the Square to find Danny Dyer's Mick Carter in charge of 'her' famous boozer, she gave a good hint that the pub may well be better off with the Mitchell clan still in charge...the response she got was a throwback to Peggy's own preferred manner of kicking out unruly punters...

PEGGY'S POLITICS

In one episode, the Mitchell mother decided to try her hand at local politics - after forgetting her speech, Peggy spoke from the heart about her love of Walford and it's residents (when she wasn't slapping them all or throwing them out of her establishment)

PEGGY AND FRANK

Peggy's greatest moments came as part of Albert Square's greatest OAP love triangle, with Peggy's then husband, the gravelly voiced Frank Butcher, eventually running off with the excessively-ear-ringed Pat. Frank was a charmer and a ladies' man - but even he couldn't face the wrath of Mrs Mitchell unscatched.

It remains to be seen whether Albert Square will find someone who can fill the hugely proportioned shoes that Windsor has left behind - but for now the memory of Mrs Peggy Mitchell will loom large over the square for years and years to come...